Former Yisrael Beytenu official convicted of bribery
One of the main defendants in the Yisrael Beytenu corruption affair, David Godovsky, strikes plea deal to admit to only some charges of receiving bribes, saying he did not pocket the money but rather served as former deputy minister Kirschenbaum's assistant and acted in favor of the party.
Former senior Yisrael Beytenu official David (Daud) Godovsky was convicted Monday of several counts of receiving bribes in the Yisrael Beytenu corruption affair.
Godovsky, who was the right hand of former deputy minister and main defendant in the affair Faina Kirschenbaum and a key figure in the Yisrael Beytenu party, was convicted in a plea bargain by the Tel Aviv District Court.
He was charged with receiving and asking for bribes, extortion and intimidation, conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and other tax offenses.
According to the indictment filed against him, Godovsky was Kirschenbaum's main accomplice in planning and carrying out a significant part of her criminal offenses and worked to promote his own personal affairs as well as those of Kirschenbaum and Yisrael Beytenu.
Following negotiations with the State Attorney's Office, he reached an arrangement according to which he would admit to only some of the bribery charges. The two parties agreed Godovsky would state that he did not take any bribes into his own pocket, and that he served as Kirschenbaum's assistant and acted in favor of the party.
But the plea does not detail a punishment, and the decision on it will fall to the court.
Godovsky will likely not be required to testify against Kirschenbaum, who is still on trial and accused of a long list of bribery charges along with other offenses. She denies all allegations against her.
Between 2001 and 2014, Godovsky was a public servant, employed by the Yisrael Beytenu party.
According to the original indictment, he was trusted, among other things, with the party's contacts with its mayors and council members, as well as with its branch centers and field activists.
He was also in contact with various elements that requested the party's help in receiving state funds. Godovsky, it was argued, acted as a channel between these elements and Kirschenbaum. In some cases, he and Kirschenbaum demanded bribes in the form of a significant portion of the funds received.
The original charges alleged that Godovsky was a key partner in the planning and execution of a significant part of the criminal acts carried out by the Kirschenbaum.
